| Popis: |
The fertile soil and numerous rivers of St Vincent, annexed in 1763, offered potentially good plantation land, which was to be sold on behalf of the British crown by a government commission. Over large parts of the island, however, British settlement conflicted with the claims of Carib peoples. Europeans made distinctions between small communities of what they called Red Caribs, and much larger ones of Black Caribs, who were predominantly the descendants of escaped African slaves. Richard Burke tried to circumvent the restriction that Carib land could only be obtained through the government commission. by dealing directly with the Red Caribs, who agreed to sell him land that he hoped to resell at a large profit for his own benefit. The Black Caribs, however, would not consent to dispose of their land to the British. They were eventually coerced to do so by force in what was called the Carib War of 1772. Edmund Burke strongly supported his brother’s purchase, while very much disapproving of the use of force against the Black Caribs, even if he thought it impolitic to say so publicly while Richard was negotiating with ministers. Richard’s purchase was eventually annulled in Britain, so that he gained nothing from his attempted speculation. But Edmund’s involvement in the affairs of the Caribs gave him insights into the plight of indigenous peoples in an expanding British empire. |
